


magic words

by cant



Category: American Horror Story: Coven
Genre: F/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-12-22
Updated: 2017-12-22
Packaged: 2019-02-18 08:43:59
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 841
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13096527
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/cant/pseuds/cant
Summary: 18 wishes he was a witch but he needs to calm down





	magic words

“Wait, wait, don’t open your eyes yet,” she scolded - 18 was sure she’d have her hands over his eyes if she wasn’t so short. He’d have a blindfold if having something on his eyes didn’t make him cringe. Instead, he had to trust her to guide him through the huge house and to squeeze his hand whenever he got worried. 

She took it slow, letting him feel out steps before he took them. He was used to being cut off from the world. It wasn’t pleasant. When they got to stairs, she let him feel it out again, giggling a little when he struggled but helping him find his feet. 18 tried to keep the worry out of his body, but his hands tensed. 

She smelt like herbs and something fresh, like mint or a spice of some kind. He wished he could tell what it was - probably some spell she'd been working on. Her hand was small in his and he was able to wrap his fingers around hers almost completely, but it was so soft and he couldn’t help but start rubbing his thumb over the back of her hand - the anxiety that was threatening to spill over backed down. 

“One more step,” she said brightly, opening a door and letting him in. 

Immediately, it was warm. He could smell spices and something else - candles, perhaps, and it was so tranquil. 

“Open your eyes, puppy,” she said, bouncing into the room. 

He stood in her bedroom. A little twig sat in the corner with Christmas decorations on it, next to a little tablet, in front of the mattress, which she’d dragged onto the floor, and an array of pillows and blankets. It was so peaceful - candles and little jars with flowers and herbs in them dotted the room, and Tera was blushing. No, she was glowing, the little heart of the room. 

“Um, I didn’t know what to get you for Christmas, so I thought we could have a night, y’know, to, uh… Hang out. It’s so cold outside, and you’re wearing a t-shirt, and I thought maybe you wanted to come somewhere warm…” 

18 hadn’t felt so peaceful in weeks. School had been on him so much; the bullying wasn’t getting any better, and he’d been suspended twice more since October. He couldn’t handle any more pressure from his mother, and he couldn’t take a single hit more from his brother without breaking down into tears. He was getting filled with nasty things again, bad thoughts and dirty ideas. His hands were in tight fists all the time and his teachers were giving up. He knew what the looks the other witches gave him meant. He understood what they thought of him. 

Not this little witch. 

“Is it okay? Marcus? Um, I don’t-” 

“Stop talking,” he said, though it came out a little meaner than he’d meant it to. More negative energy leaving him. Tera bit her lip nervously. 

He walked over to the mattress on the floor, the tension leaving his back and his arms with every step. “Marcus?” 

“Come here,” he said, taking her hand and pulling her down to sit on the mattress with him. 

The next thing he knew, his head was in her lap and she was stroking his hair, blankets over them, and his body was made of goo, melting into the mattress and her hands. “You wanna watch a movie?” she asked, though her voice was muffled. 

18′s heart was slowed now. He could tell, because he was so used to it racing with adrenaline or fear. Butterflies were settling in his stomach. “Mhm,” he mumbled, his eyes closing. Maybe he’d finally be able to sleep.

“You sleepy, puppy?” she whispered, brushing his hair out of his eyes. “Oh.” 

He knew he should say something, but he could feel it coming over him - the first good night’s sleep he’d had in forever. What were the words? Like a magic spell, like the words to an enchantment she would whisper over her flowers or over his coffee. Something that made his heart warm up and start beating again, something that made his body forget the tension that was winding up inside. He wished he could do things like that, enchant things for her like she did for him. He’d get her things he’d found, like his cool collection of lost necklaces and those cute seashells, and whisper little charms over them so she could hold them and feel the same things he did when she loved him. What were those words? He’d give anything to be a witch like her. 

“Thought you needed something like this,” she said quietly. Maybe she thought he was asleep. “You looked worried about something. I thought it would be nice to have somewhere safe to come.” Tera drew lines in his hair, probably uncovering an ancient tattoo. It made his fingers tingle and his head buzz in a good way. Relaxing. 

Oh, that was it. The magic words came back to him. 

“Thank you, Tera.”


End file.
